  One evening when Mr. Carpenter, the artist, was alone with Mr. Lincoln in his study, the President said: “There is a poem that has been a great favorite with me for years, to which my attention was first called when a young man, by a friend, and which I afterward saw and cut from a newspaper and carried in my pocket till, by frequent reading, I had it by heart. I would give a great deal to know who wrote it, but I could never ascertain.” He then repeated the poem, now familiar to the public, commencing, “Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?” This poem, which was written by William Knox, a young Scotchman, a contemporary of Sir Walter Scott, suits well the thoughtful, melancholy mood habitual to Mr. Lincoln. It is said Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud? Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud, A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, He passeth from life to his rest in the grave. The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade, Be scattered around and together be laid; And the young and the old, the low and the high, Shall moulder to dust, and together shall lie— The infant a mother attended and loved; The mother that infant’s affection who proved: The husband, that mother and infant who blest— Each, all, are away to their dwellings of rest. The maid on whose cheek, on whose brow, in whose eye Shone beauty and pleasure,—her triumphs are by; And the memory of those who loved her and praised, Are alike from the minds of the living erased. The hand of the king that the sceptre hath borne, The brow of the priest that the mitre hath worn, Are hidden and lost in the depths of the grave. The peasant, whose lot was to sow and to reap, The herdsman, who climbed with his goats up the steep, The beggar, who wandered in search of his bread, Have faded away like the grass that we tread. The saint, who enjoyed the communion of Heaven, The sinner, who dared to remain unforgiven, The wise and the foolish, the guilty and just, Have quietly mingled their bones in the dust. So the multitude goes—like the flower or the weed That withers away to let others succeed; So the multitude comes—even those we behold, To repeat every tale that has often been told. For we are the same our fathers have been; We see the same sights our fathers have seen; We drink the same stream, we view the same sun, And run the same course our fathers have run. The thoughts we are thinking our fathers would think; From the death we are shrinking, our fathers would shrink To the life we are clinging, they also would cling,— But it speeds from us all like a bird on the wing. They loved—but the story we can not unfold; They scorned—but the heart of the haughty is cold; They grieved—but no wail from their slumber will come; They joyed—but the tongue of their gladness is dumb. They died—ay, they died; we things that are now, That walk on the turf that lies over their brow, Meet the things that they met on their pilgrimage road. ’Tis the wink of an eye—’tis the draught of a breath— From the blossom of health to the paleness of death, From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud:— Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud? The last stanza will call to mind the startling suddenness with which Abraham Lincoln, the Chief Magistrate of a great nation, passed from the summit of power to the solemn stillness of death. Was it a sad, prophetic instinct that caused the mind of the great martyr to dwell so constantly upon these solemn strains? No man seems to have been more clearly indicated as the instrument of Providence than Abraham Lincoln. It seems strange in the eyes of men that a rough youth, born and reared in the backwoods, without early educational advantages, homely and awkward, and with no polish of manner save that which proceeded from a good heart, should have been selected as the Guide and Savior of a great nation. But God’s ways are not as our ways, nor is His choice as ours. Mr. Lincoln had this advantage,—coming from the ranks of the people, he never lost sight of his sympathy for He has been well described by one reared like himself, in the free atmosphere of the West: “Nearly every great figure of history is a kind of great monstrosity. We know nothing about Washington. He is a steel engraving. No dirt of humanity clings to his boots. Lincoln lived where men were free and equal, and was acquainted with the people, not much with books. Every man is in some sort a book. He lived the poem of the year in the fields, the woods, the blessed country. Lincoln had the advantage of sociability. He was thoughtful, and saw on the horizon of his future the perpetual star of hope. To him every field was a landscape; every landscape a poem; every poem a lesson, and every grove a fairy land. Oaks and elms are far more poetical than streets or houses. A country life is in itself an education. It gives the man an idea of home. He hears the rain on the roofs, the rustle of the breeze, the music of nature’s fullest control. You have no idea how many men education spoils. Lincoln’s education was derived from men and things, and hence he had a chance to develop. “If you want to find out what a man is to the bottom, give him power. Any man can stand adversity—only a great man can stand prosperity. It is the glory of Abraham Lincoln that he never abused power only on the side of mercy. When he had power he used it in mercy. He loved to see the tears of the wife whose husband he had snatched from death.” I draw near the close of my task, having given, as I hope, some fair idea of one whose memory will always remain dear to the hearts of his countrymen. In that chequered life there is much to imitate, much to admire, little to avoid or censure. Happy will be the day when our public men copy his unselfishness, his patriotic devotion to duty! Within a few months, on the eighteenth anniversary of Mr. Lincoln’s assassination, a poem was read at his grave by John H. Bryant, of Princeton, which will fitly close my story of the Backwoods Boy: Not one of all earth’s wise and great Hath earned a purer gratitude Than the great Soul whose hallowed dust This structure holds in sacred trust. How fierce the strife that rent the land, When he was summoned to command; With what wise care he led us through The fearful storms that ’round us blew. Calm, patient, hopeful, undismayed, He met the angry hosts arrayed For bloody war, and overcame Their haughty power in Freedom’s name. ’Mid taunts and doubts, the bondsman’s chain With gentle force he cleft in twain, The chartered sons of Liberty. No debt he owed to wealth or birth; By force of solid, honest worth He climbed the topmost height of fame And wrote thereon a spotless name. Oh! when the felon hand laid low That sacred head, what sudden woe Shot to the Nation’s farthest bound, And every bosom felt the wound. Well might the Nation bow in grief, And weep above the fallen chief, Who ever strove, by word or pen, For “peace on earth, good-will to men.” The people loved him, for they knew, Each pulse of his large heart was true To them, to Freedom, and the right, Unswayed by gain, unawed by might. This tomb, by loving hands up-piled, To him, the merciful and mild, From age to age shall carry down The glory of his great renown. As the long centuries onward flow, As generations come and go, Wide and more wide his fame shall spread, And greener laurels crown his head. And when this pile is fall’n to dust, Its bronzes crumbled into rust, Revered and loved from sea to sea. India’s swart millions, ’neath their palms, Shall sing thy praise in grateful psalms, And crowds by Congo’s turbid wave Bless the good hand that freed the slave. Shine on, O Star of Freedom, shine, Till all the realms of earth are thine; And all the tribes, through countless days, Shall bask in thy benignant rays. Lord of the Nations! grant us still Another patriot sage, to fill The seat of power, and save the State From selfish greed. For this we wait. THE CREAM OF JUVENILE FICTION THE A Selection of the Best Books for Boys by the Most Popular Authors The titles in this splendid juvenile series have been selected with care, and as a result all the stories can be relied upon for their excellence. They are bright and sparkling; not over-burdened with lengthy descriptions, but brimful of adventure from the first page to the last—in fact they are just the kind of yarns that appeal strongly to the healthy boy who is fond of thrilling exploits and deeds of heroism. Among the authors whose names are included in the Boys’ Own Library are Horatio Alger, Jr., Edward S. Ellis, James Otis, Capt. Ralph Bonehill, Burt L. Standish, Gilbert Patten and Frank H. Converse. SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE BOYS’ OWN LIBRARY All the books in this series are copyrighted, printed on good paper, large type, illustrated, printed wrappers, handsome cloth covers stamped in inks and gold—fifteen special cover designs. 146 Titles—Price, per Volume, 75 cents For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price by the publisher, DAVID McKAY, HORATIO ALGER, Jr. One of the best known and most popular writers. Good, clean, healthy stories for the American Boy.
C. B. ASHLEY. One of the best stories ever written on hunting, trapping and adventure in the West, after the Custer Massacre. Gilbert, the Boy Trapper ANNIE ASHMORE. A splendid story, recording the adventures of a boy with smugglers. Smuggler’s Cave, The CAPT. RALPH BONEHILL. Capt. Bonehill is in the very front rank as an author of boys’ stories. These are two of his best works. Neka, the Boy Conjurer WALTER F. BRUNS. An excellent story of adventure in the celebrated Sunk Lands of Missouri and Kansas. In the Sunk Lands FRANK H. CONVERSE. This writer has established a splendid reputation as a boys’ author, and although his books usually command $1.25 per volume, we offer the following at a more popular price.
DAVID McKAY, Publisher, Philadelphia. HARRY COLLINGWOOD. One of England’s most successful writers of stories for boys. His best story is Pirate Island GEORGE H. COOMER. Two books we highly recommend. One is a splendid story of adventure at sea, when American ships were in every port in the world, and the other tells of adventures while the first railway in the Andes Mountains was being built.
WILLIAM DALTON. Three stories by one of the very greatest writers for boys. The stories deal with boys’ adventures in India, China and Abyssinia. These books are strongly recommended for boys’ reading, as they contain a large amount of historical information.
EDWARD S. ELLIS. These books are considered the best works this well-known writer ever produced. No better reading for bright young Americans.
GEORGE MANVILLE FENN. For the past fifty years Mr. Fenn has been writing books for boys and popular fiction. His books are justly popular throughout the English-speaking world. We publish the following select list of his boys’ books, which we consider the best he ever wrote.
ENSIGN CLARKE FITCH, U. S. N. A graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and thoroughly familiar with all naval matters. Mr. Fitch has devoted himself to literature, and has written a series of books for boys that every
WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDON. An author of world-wide popularity. Mr. Graydon is essentially a friend of young people, and we offer herewith ten of his best works, wherein he relates a great diversity of interesting adventures in various parts of the world, combined with accurate historical data.
LIEUT. FREDERICK GARRISON, U. S. A. Every American boy takes a keen interest in the affairs of West Point. No more capable writer on this popular subject could be found than Lieut. Garrison, who vividly describes the life, adventures and unique incidents that have occurred in that great institution—in these famous West Point stories.
HEADON HILL. The hunt for gold has always been a popular subject for consideration, and Mr. Hill has added a splendid story on the subject in this romance of the Klondyke. Spectre Gold HENRY HARRISON LEWIS. Mr. Lewis is a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and has written a great many books for boys. Among his best works are the following titles—the subjects include a vast series of adventures in all parts of the world. The historical data is correct, and they should be read by all boys, for the excellent information they contain.
DAVID McKAY, Publisher, Philadelphia. LIEUT. LIONEL LOUNSBERRY. A series of books embracing many adventures under our famous naval commanders, and with our army during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Founded on sound history, these books are written for boys, with the idea of combining pleasure with profit; to cultivate a fondness for study—especially of what has been accomplished by our army and navy.
BROOKS McCORMICK. Four splendid books of adventure on sea and land, by this well-known writer for boys.
WALTER MORRIS. This charming story contains thirty-two chapters of just the sort of school life that charms the boy readers. Bob Porter at Lakeview Academy STANLEY NORRIS. Mr. Norris is without a rival as a writer of “Circus Stories” for boys. These four books are full of thrilling adventures, but good, wholesome reading for young Americans.
LIEUT. JAMES K. ORTON. When a boy has read one of Lieut. Orton’s books, it requires no urging to induce him to read the others. Not a dull page in any of them.
DAVID McKAY, Publisher, Philadelphia. JAMES OTIS. Mr. Otis is known by nearly every American boy, and needs no introduction here. The following copyrights are among his best:
GILBERT PATTEN. Mr. Patten has had the distinction of having his books adopted by the U. S. Government for all naval libraries on board our war ships. While aiming to avoid the extravagant and sensational, the stories contain enough thrilling incidents to please the lad who loves action and adventure. In the Rockspur stories the description of their Baseball and Football Games and other contests with rival clubs and teams make very exciting and absorbing reading; and few boys with warm blood in their veins, having once begun the perusal of one of these books, will willingly lay it down till it is finished.
ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE. Mr. Rathborne’s stories for boys have the peculiar charm of dealing with localities and conditions with which he is thoroughly familiar. The scenes of these excellent stories are along the Florida coast and on the western prairies.
ARTHUR SEWELL. An American story by an American author. It relates how a Yankee boy overcame many obstacles in school and out. Thoroughly interesting from start to finish. Gay Dashleigh’s Academy Days DAVID McKAY, Publisher, Philadelphia. CAPT. DAVID SOUTHWICK. An exceptionally good story of frontier life among the Indians in the far West, during the early settlement period. Jack Wheeler The Famous Frank Merriwell Stories. BURT L. STANDISH. No modern series of tales for boys and youths has met with anything like the cordial reception and popularity accorded to the Frank Merriwell Stories. There must be a reason for this and there is. Frank Merriwell, as portrayed by the author, is a jolly whole-souled, honest, courageous American lad, who appeals to the hearts of the boys. He has no bad habits, and his manliness inculcates the idea that it is not necessary for a boy to indulge in petty vices to be a hero. Frank Merriwell’s example is a shining light for every ambitious lad to follow. Six volumes now ready:
VICTOR ST. CLAIR. These books are full of good, clean adventure, thrilling enough to please the full-blooded wide-awake boy, yet containing nothing to which there can be any objection from those who are careful as to the kind of books they put into the hands of the young.
MATTHEW WHITE, JR. Good, healthy, strong books for the American lad. No more interesting books for the young appear on our lists.
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD. One of the most popular authors of boys’ books. Here are three of his best.
GAYLE WINTERTON. This very interesting story relates the trials and triumphs of a Young American Actor, including the solution of a very puzzling mystery. Young Actor, The ERNEST A. YOUNG. This book is not a treatise on sports, as the title would indicate, but relates a series of thrilling adventures among boy campers in the woods of Maine. Boats, Bats and Bicycles DAVID McKAY, Publisher, Philadelphia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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